Roll Up Roll Up, it’s the 41st Breeders’ Cup World Champs

With a record 80 Internationals eyeing the 41st running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar, its Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious two-day global event.

Staged at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on 1,2 November with $34m in purses, its ‘Future Stars Friday’ that hosts five 2yo events, plus nine Championship races on ‘Championships Saturday.’

“The record number of outstanding international contenders pre-entered this year speaks to the truly global nature of this World Championships,” said Breeders’ Cup President Drew Fleming.

“The Breeders’ Cup is a testament to the connections who have targeted our festival of racing as we express our gratitude to the skilled individuals worldwide who provide the exceptional care.”

“This allows these Thoroughbreds to excel at the highest level, and we thank Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for their hospitality and extend our appreciation to our breeders and nominators.”

“In help under writing the World Championships, we also thank bettors and fans from around the globe for their support, and look forward to hosting a Breeders’ Cup for the ages at Del Mar.”

However, its the Travers Stakes hero Fierceness who heads the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings in the final five weeks of the of the 11-week poll, and run over 1¼m on the main track.

Also winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes in July, he’ll again be ridden by John Velazquez for Todd Pletcher having taken out the Florida Derby in March, and last year the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Home bred by Repole Stable he’s by the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light, with his winning Stay Thirsty dam Nonna Bella a half-sister the Wood Memorial winner Outwork.

With 16 runners pre-entered in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, it’s the world’s highest-rated turf winner City of Troy who’ll be the mount of Ryan Moore for Aiden O’Brien and Coolmore.

Looking to make it four-from-four in an ‘interesting classic season,’ he’s coming off a top-line win in the Juddmonte International, having first won the Epsom Derby and the Coral Eclipse Stakes.

Bred in Kentucky, City of Troy is certainly the best of the outstanding undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify, from the developing sire-making family of Group 1 Galileo mare Together Forever.

Also pressing Fierceness is the Susumu Fujita owned Forever Young who returns to the US, following an easy win in the Japan Cup Dirt Classic having had a narrow loss in the Kentucky Derby.

In earlier having back-to-back wins in the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby, he’s a ¥98m 2022 HRHA Select Sale yearling, by successful Dubai Turf Winner Real Steel from Gr2 winner Forever Darling.

The Godolphin home-bred Rebel’s Romance returns to the $5m Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf of 1½m in having made it five-on-end in 2022 including Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland.

In having missed the World Championships last year, he’s now with five wins including the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup and recently the Preis von Europa.

The Brad Cox trained 5yo Idiomatic returns to defend her Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff trophy with a 6 length victory in the ‘Win You’re In’ Spinster Stakes, for owner and breeder Juddmonte.

However, she’s up against 3yo Thorpedo Anna in this 1 1/8 mile test who for trainer Kenny McPeek this year won the Longines Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes, American Oaks and Cotillion Stakes.

With this 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships attracting a record entry from the record five continents of Asia, Europe, North America, South Africa, and South America it’s the 80 international contenders who have proceeded the 2023 record of 60 horses.